I’m not cooking a whole lot a the moment – just on weekends, really, and then I tend to get lazy – a lot of cheese, tomato, and avacado on toast. However, there are a couple of vegetarian “supper” books on the market at the moment, and I’ve been keen to try them out. I very much like the idea of these books – casual, healthful foods, without too much effort.

I test drove Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen over the weekend, making Whole Wheat Penne, with Broccoli, Green Olives, and Pine Nuts when Ben and Eduardo joined us for dinner. I was very happy with the outcome – not too fussy to make, and good, solid food. I wouldn’t claim that the results were particularly fancy, but that’s OK. I haven’t tried any of the other recipes in the book yet, but I’ve got several that I’d like to try.

The general layout of the book is very nice. It’s divided into various thematic sections – tarts, pastas, etc., and each recipe comes with side dish and wine suggestions; perfect for when one’s a little rushed, and can’t find the time to think about putting a meal together.